Vice-mayor dies in fall

By Li Xinran  |   2009-5-4  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

A VICE mayor in an eastern Chinese city died early Saturday after falling from her 29th-floor apartment following a verbal dispute with her husband.

Local police have ruled out the possibility of homicide on Ni Lingmei, vice mayor of Huzhou City in Zhejiang Province.

Witnesses said Ni had got into a dispute with at least one of her family members before she died.

A guard surnamed Shen who was on duty on Friday night told local police he heard a man and a woman quarreling in Ni's home prior to her fall.

Ni's husband admitted that he and Ni had argued.

Xinhua news agency reported yesterday that Ni's son, who studies abroad, sent a text message telling his parents to keep calm about 20 minutes before Ni's fall.

Police said preliminary enquiries indicate Ni fell from the building after she climbed out on to the bathroom windowsill.

Huzhou police received a phone call on 12:53am on Saturday saying a person had fallen from the 29th floor.

Officers said Ni was dead when they arrived at the scene.